Do you socialize much? By socialize I mean go to dinners or parties or similar events where a large group of people meet to socialize. Social networking can often be a very similar experience.
I can remember where, in past years, a doctor would never reveal his/her occupation. If they did, they would spend the evening doing on the spot diagnosis of sore backs and aching legs and so on. Social networking can be a similar experience. If you were to reveal that you were a doctor, you know that someone is going to pop one of those questions at you.
It’s the different characters you find at parties that I find interesting and I find that with social networking, those same characters exist. You know the types. There are the quiet ones who sit back and watch. They don’t offer much unless you ask them, yet if you engage them in conversation they can generally be quite entertaining. They are the mixed bag. You just never know what to expect.
On the other end of the spectrum are the life of the party type people. You can’t keep them quiet. They come as a mixed bag as well. You have those that have been there, done that, expert on everything, qualified at nothing. They are just as likely to push a business card into your hand while passing a drink. The other talkers include the gossipers. If you want to know what’s going on in the world, go and listen to them.
In the middle of all this are your every day individuals who try and do the right thing by circulating, chatting and listening to everyone before moving on to the next little group. I have oversimplified things a little, but you get the idea. Which group do you fit into? Social networking on line is no different.
On line, you have the braggart who can answer all your questions, always has an opinion, and is always trying to get you to visit their website. The gossiper can tell you what is going on everywhere. Who is not talking to who, which products are out of flavor (and which are ones are in). And you have the quiet ones who sit in the corner and watch everything. Pick their brains and you often find pearls of wisdom.
Recognizing some of these traits in the social networking world can be invaluable. Who do you ask for advice? Not the braggart – 90% of the time they are wrong. No, you seek out the quiet ones and get in line to ask them. They don’t need to promote themselves, their actions speak for themselves.
Likewise, if you want to quickly get a message out, go to the loud gossipers and let them in on the ‘secret’. As soon as it gets that confidential tone, you know the whole network will have heard about in with ten minutes. I must say, social networking reminds me of being at a party – there are just no drinks to consume – often the best part of any party.
